Railway-tie.



H. M. GRYDER. RAILWAY TIE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1913.

Patented June 23, 1914.

A? y r 1% UNITED STATES PATENT UFFTQFL,

HOWARD M. CRYDEB, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-TIE.

To all rv/mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, Howano M. GRYDER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Railway- Ties, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway ties.

The main object of the invention is to provide a practicable and serviceable railway tie that can be manufactured at a low cost and maintained in a serviceable condition with a minimum amount of trouble and expense.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive railway tie that will last for a long period and which has all of the good characteristics and desirable features of the ordinary wooden railway tie now in general use. And still another object is to provide a railway tie of novel construction which is so designed that both rails of the track can be shifted laterally simultaneously so as to realine the track without disturbing the roadbed.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Briefly described, my invention consists in a railway tie that comprises a permanent base portion, preferably formed of concrete, and rail-carrying portion, preferably formed of wood and combined with said permanent base portion so as to form a single unit of the approximate dimensions of an ordinary wooden railway tie. The rail-carrying portion consists of a single member that extends transversely under both rails of the track, and the rails are connected thereto, preferably by means of the usual rail spikes now generally used for securing track rails to wooden ties. The permanent base portion is constructed to receive the rail-carrying portion, and in the preferred form of my invention, as herein shown, said permanent base portion is so designed that the rail-carrying portion can be adjusted longitudinally of same so as to enable both track rails to be shifted laterally to realine the track without disturbing the roadbed in which the base portion is permanently embedded.

While I have stated that the base portion of my improved tie is preferably formed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1913.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Serial No. 802,782.

from concrete and that the rail-carrying portion. is preferably formed from wood, I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to a structure formed from the materials mentioned as my broad idea consists in a railway tie formed as a i single unit and composed'of a practically indestructible base portion that is permanently lined in the roadbed and a rail-carry ing portion on said base portion extending transversely under both rails of the track and formed from material that has a certain degree of resiliency.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a railway tie constructed in accord- V ance with my invention; Fig. 2 18 a vertical longitudinal sectional view of said tie; Fig. is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectionalview taken on the line tl of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a eXtends transversely under both rails l of the track, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the track rails being connected to said railcarrying portion B preferably by means of the usual rail spikes 2. The dimensions of the permanent base portion A are approximately the same as the dimensions of an ordinary wooden tie, and a recess or pocket 3 is formed in the top face of said base portion A so as to receive the rail-carrying portion B, said pocket- 3 being preferably so proportioned that the side walls of same will bear against the longitudinal side edges of the rail-carrying portion B and thus prevent said rail-carrying portion from moving transversely of the base portion A. The dimensions of the rail-carrying portion B are much less than the dimensions of an ordinary wooden track tie but it is long enough so that the ends of same will project laterally some distance from the track rails,

crcte base portion A of the tie.

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Consequently, it i will receive the flanges of the car-wheels in case of a derailment and thus prevent the wheels from riding on and breaking the con- In the preferred form of my invention, as herein shown, the pocket 3 in the permanent base portion A is of greater length than the length of the rail-carrying portion B, and means is provided for preventing said railcarrying portion from moving longitudinally of said pocket. By constructing the tie in this manner I am able to move both rails of the track laterally so as to realine the track without disturbing the base portion of the tie or the road'bed in which said base portion is permanently embedded. Various means may be used for securing the j rail-carrying portion in fixed relation with g the permanent base portion so as to prevent I said rail-carrying portion from moving accidentally longitudinally of the base portion, but I have herein illust'ated a securing or locking means that is very efiicient on account of the simplicity of construction and the ease with which it can be adjusted. Said securing or locking means consists of a de vice 4 at one end of the rail-carrying portion 13 that cooperates with a removable locking plate 5 which is mounted in a stationary housing 6 that is permanently connected to the base portion A of the track. The device a is preferably screwed into one end of the rail-carrying portion B, and is provided at its outer end with an upwardly projecting part or arm 4*, and the removable locking plate 5 is provided with a plurality of holes a, b, 0 and (Z that conform to the cross sectional shape of the arm 4t on the device t, said holes at, Z), c and (Z being arranged in longitudinal alinement with each other, as shown in Fig. 5. The housing 6 conforms to the shape of the removable locking plate 5 so as to securely hold said plate in operative position, and said housing is provided with legs 6- that are embedded in the concrete base portion A of the tie, said housing projecting inwardly from one end of the pocket 3 in the base portion, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. If desired, a nut 7 can be screwed oiito the upturned arm 4* on the device 4 after the locking plate 5 has been arranged in operative position so as to prevent said plate from jumping out of the housing 6 accidentally. If it is desired to shift the track rails laterally so as to realine the track, the nut 7 and plate are first removed and the rail-carrying portion B is then moved longitudinally of the base portion A of the tie. Thereafter, the locking plate 5 and nut 7 are replaced so as to'securely lock the railcarrying portion B in adjusted position. If desired, a strap 8 or other suit able means may be employed for preventing the rail-carrying portion from moving verticallv with relation to the base portion A of the tie, the strap 8 herein shown extending trans ersely across the rail-carrying portion and being securely fastened to said base portion by means of nuts 9 mounted on bolts 10 which are permanently embedded in the base portion, as shown in Fig. st. The pocke 3 in the base portion A is provided with a drain-opening l1, shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and tapered grooves 12 are preferably formed in the bottom of said pocket, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to con that any water that collects in said pocket to the drain-opening 11, thereby effectively draining the base portion A of the tie and thus preventing the portion B from rotting quickly.

A railway tie of the construction abovedescribed has all the desirable features and characteristics of an ordinary wooden tie in view of the fact that both rails of the tie are mounted on or supported by a member which has a certain degree of resiliency and which is of such a character that the rails can. be fastened to same by means of ordinary rail spikes. The tie will last much longer than a wooden tie, however, in view of the fact that the portion of same which is embedded in the roadbed is practically indestructible and is of such a character that it will not decay, rot, or be destroyed by in sects. The tie can be manufactured at a low cost in view of the fact that the rail-carrying portion of same is much smaller than an ordinary wooden tie and the base portion of same is formed from inexpensive material that can be easily molded or cast. The tie can be installed easily, and after it has been installed it is not necessary to disturb the base portion whenever the rails have to be shifted laterally to line up the track, thereby overcoming the necessity of loosening the ballast which forms the roadbed of the track.

I am aware of the fact that there are numerous prior patents showing concrete *ailway ties provided with blocks of wood for supporting the rails of the track and with means for securing said blocks of wood to the concrete portion of the tie, but all of the prior devices of this character with which I amfamiliar are impracticable strud tures that are costly to manufacture and maintain, and which necessitate the use of special fastening devices for securing the rails. My improved tie is distinguished from the impracticable ties of this type which. have heretofore been experimented with by reason of its simplicity of design,

sis

low cost of manufacture and maintenance, i

portion that partially embraces same and effectively prevents the rail-carrying portion from moving relatively thereto in any direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A railway tie comprising a permanent base portion provided in its top face with a pocket extending longitudinally of same, a rail-carrying portion that bears against the side walls of said pocket and which extends under both rails of the track, the length of said rail-carrying portion being less than the length of said pocket so that said railcarrying portion can be adjusted longitudinally of the base portion, and means for retaining said rail-carrying portion in adjusted position.

2. A railway tie comprising a rail-carrying portion that extends transversely under both rails of the track and a permanent base portion provided with a pocket or recess for receiving said rail-carrying portion, said pocket being of sufficient length to enable said raiLcarrying portion to be adjusted longitudinally of said base portion, and cooperating means on said portions for holding said rail-carrying portion in adjusted position.

3. A railway tie comprising a rail-carrying portion that extends transversely under both rails of the track and a permanent base portion provided with a pocket or recess for receiving said rail-carrying portion, said pocket being of suificient length to enable said rail-carrying portion to be adjusted longitudinally of said base portion, a device on one end of said rail-carrying portion, and a removable locking plate provided with a plurality of openings which are so arranged that said plate will serve to lock said rail-carrying portion in a number of different positions.

4. A railway tie comprising a rail-carrying portion that extends transversely under bot-h rails of the track and a permanent base portion provided with a pocket or recess for receiving said rail-carrying portion, said pocket being of suflicient length to enable said rail-carrying portion to be adjusted longitudinally ofsaid base portion, a device on one end of said rail-carrying portion provided with an upturned arm or extension, a housing connected to said base portion adjacent one end of the pocket in same, and a removable locking plate in said housing that cooperates with the arm or extension on said device for locking said rail-carrying portion in adjusted position.

5. A railway tie comprising a concrete base portion provided with a pocket, a wooden rail-carrying portion extending under both rails of the track and arranged in said pocket, said pocket being lon er than said rail-carrying portion and the slde Walls of said pocket bearing against the longitudinal side edges of said rail-carrying portion, means for preventing said rail-carrying portion from moving vertically with re lation to said base portion, and independent means for preventing said rail-carrying portion from moving longitudinally with relation to said base portion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in thepresence of two witnesses, this twenty-first day of November 1913.

HOlVARD M. CRYDER.

Witnesses:

WELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commilsioner o! Bate-ms, Washington, D. G. 

